7 Simple Self-Care Practices You Should Start Now

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Life can be stressful. It’s way too easy to neglect yourself and your needs, leading to increases in stress, exhaustion, sickness and burnout. Luckily, by adopting a self-care mindset that’s easy to apply to your busy life, you can help avoid burnout.

What is self-care anyways? Simply put it’s about taking care of you and being kind and compassionate towards yourself, by developing healthy coping strategies. The upside of taking care of yourself is endless — better health, increased productivity, more energy, increased self-awareness. It’s not narcissistic to remember to care for you, it should be standard practice for maintaining a happier, healthier you!

All Business And No Pleasure Makes For A Duller You: Integrating fun into your daily life is a fantastic way to brighten your outlook. Treat yourself to a tea or to these best self-care products, eat a good meal, watch a feel-good movie or go for a walk – do something for you, because you’re worth it!

You’re Not Alone: Too often when we hit that downward spiral, we get lost in ourselves and forget we’re not alone. Humans are social by nature, so don’t forget to connect with friends or family to lift your spirits. When in doubt, call/text a friend, join a club or just get out of the house and people watch.

Spirituality Check-In: Don’t forget to do what you value – religion, mindfulness, intellectual pursuits. Taking a moment to meditate, pray, list what you’re grateful for, or break for something you’re passionate about (whatever that is) will help you reconnect you with what matters most.

Emotional Wellbeing: Drain those stressful feelings before they clutter your mind with negative thoughts. When life gets you down: honour your emotions! Cry if need be, restore clarity by writing out your concerns, laugh at that YouTube video that gets you every time and don’t forget to be kind to yourself – whatever your worry, it will pass.

Physical Activity: Working out your body by running, walking, napping, dancing or doing yoga will help work out the mental kinks. Plug in some earbuds and walk off the stress to your favourite song by channelling your stress into something constructive like walking to the corner store for a sparkling water. This is about blowing off steam, instead of bottling up your emotions.

The happiest people in life know how to balance work and play by stopping to smell the roses. Because really that’s what self-care is about self-love, taking a breather when things get tricky. It’s about understanding your needs and limits and employing a self-care strategy that makes sense for you, before you get too bogged down by life’s little stressors.